1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for administering medicinal fluids to patients and, more particularly, to a device for vibrating a syringe needle during the administration of medication to a patient.
2. Description of the Related Art
Medication is administered to patients in many different medical and dental procedures. They can be administered in a variety of different ways, such as orally, by inhalation, or by injection through a needle. Injections are in many cases the preferred means of delivery due to the short time lapse between the injection of the medication and the resulting benefit to the patient. The benefit can be realized almost instantly because the medication can be injected directly to the desired area, or may be directly injected intravenously into the patient""s bloodstream. By contrast with medication taken orally, there is typically a substantial delay while the ingested medication is fully digested and delivered to the desired site within the patient""s body.
It has been common practice in the medical field, both in injecting anesthetic to a patient""s gums or in penetrating the skin or a vein, to utilize a conventional syringe incorporating a metallic needle. In the case of injecting an anesthetic in, for instance, a patient""s gum, the dentist will typically apply a topical anesthetic to the surface of the gum; and then, possibly while endeavoring to conceal the syringe from view by the patient, approach the gum site with the point of the needle. The needle is typically then forced through the gum surface tissue. Different medical technicians employ different procedures for this application, all designed to minimize trauma and pain to the patient. However, all such techniques still involve popping the needle point through the gum skin, an area that typically has highly sensitive nerves. Consequently, the patient often is exposed to considerable pain during this entry procedure. After subcutaneous entry, the needle point is maneuvered to the desired location for application of the anesthetic. The plunger is then typically depressed under the force of the dentist""s thumb to force the medication through the lumen of the needle to be forced into the gum tissue for the purpose of anesthetizing the site. It has been shown that a great deal of pain may be experienced after subcutaneous entry and during forced injection of the anesthetic into the gum tissue. It is understood that the anesthetic forced from the tip of the needle tends to pool near the tip of the needle creating somewhat of a balloon effect within the tissue. The volume of anesthetic so ballooned at this site is then slowly absorbed into the surrounding tissue to slowly reduce such balloon effect.
Because of the associated pain and discomfort caused by piercing of the skin by the needle and by forcing medication into the tissue, injection remains to be one of the least preferred methods for receiving medication, from the patients"" perspective. Especially when the injection is being made in particularly sensitive places such as the roof of the mouth in dentistry injections, there can be immense amounts of pain involved. As a result of being subjected over the years to many such painful and uncomfortable injections, many patients harbor a fear of, and apprehension toward, such injections. Some patients refuse to receive injections, while others simply delay, or altogether avoid, seeking medical or dental attention rather than face the possibility of being subjected to an injection
A device that was proposed in an attempt to reduce the pain and discomfort associated with injections, as cited in U.S. Pat. No. 2,258,857 by McCann, includes a vibrating contact element for placement against the skin of the patient adjacent the area to receive the injection. Vibration of the contact element against the patient""s skin purportedly serves to distract and confuse the patient""s nerve functions, thus relieving the pain normally experienced during an injection. This device is not free from shortcomings however. The device is bulky and cumbersome, requiring two hands to maintain the contact element pressed against the patient""s skin while actuating the vibration means to vibrate such contact element. Thus, either an assistant is required to handle the device while the doctor or dentist performs the injection, or the patient must handle the device himself or herself. In addition, the device provides no vibration to the needle itself. As such, it only serves to act upon the surface skin thereby limiting the effectiveness for injections penetrating deeper below the skin.
Another device proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,851 by Pokras employs a vibrating device which houses a syringe, needle, and all the necessary parts of the vibrator in a single, hand-held unit. Unfortunately, this device is difficult to manufacture due to its complex design, and requires greater amounts of effort in the processes of exchanging needles, sterilizing, replacing parts, etc.
As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a vibrating syringe device that is effective in reducing the pain and discomfort associated with injections, as well as convenient to use and maintain.
The present invention overcomes the above problems in the art by providing a portable, preferably battery-powered, vibrating motor assembly which can be clipped on any syringe and needle assembly to provide vibration to the needle during operation on a patient. The vibrating motor assembly generally comprises a tubular shaped housing formed with an interior compartment, coupled with a clip for attachment to a syringe barrel. The interior compartment of the housing preferably holds a battery powered motor including an eccentrically weighted shaft, which serves to supply vibration to the entire assembly and thus to the needle during operation of the motor. The operator may easily activate the vibrator as the needle is advanced to penetrate the patient""s body, to reduce the amount of pain and discomfort which would otherwise be experienced.
Advantageously, this device allows the user to easily remove the motor portion of the assembly, without also having to remove the clip from the syringe. This makes it easier for the user to sterilize the syringe and the clip portion, which may become contaminated during operation, without having to also sterilize the vibrating motor.
Furthermore, it allows the user to keep the clip portions and the syringes attached to one another at all times, so that only the motor portion must be attached or removed. Alternatively, the clip may be kept connected and removed as a unit.